The people of the Pacific islands are a broad demographic that changes depending on geographical location, colonial history, and heritage. However, they can be broadly categorized into three main regions: Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.
There’s plenty to explore about their cultures, which are often underrepresented—and when represented, often paint a false narrative. With readers looking for more unique perspectives, books by pacific islanders could be what scratches your reading itch.
Books by Pacific Islanders
Below is a list of books written by pacific islanders. From fiction to nonfiction, they celebrate the author’s culture as well as their personal experiences.
1. The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Kerewin Holmes—part Maori, part European, asexual, and aromantic—is a recluse who lives in a tower. Her solitude is disrupted by Simon, a mute kid who is quickly followed by his foster father, Joe. The three develop a tentative relationship, characterized by both tenderness and violence.
2. Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport
Pono is a seer and the matriarch of a fractured family. She is estranged from her daughters, who have all chosen to marry outsiders.
Now her four granddaughters, all grown and also married interracially, are struggling to find their way in life. Through flashbacks and detours, they are shown reclaiming their heritage and reconciling with a grandmother they both love and fear.
3. Iep Jaltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter by Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner is a poet and activist who uses her works to enlighten her audience about her home, the Marshall Islands. Within this collection is poetry that highlights Marshallese culture, tradition, politics, and climate change.
4. Breadfruit by Célestine Hitiura Vaite
Materena dreams of a more defined family with Pito. So when he, in a drunken state, does propose, Materena expects a wedding in the future.
However, the next day, Pito appears to have forgotten about his proposal. As Materena waits for a concrete commitment, she navigates everyday life and the issues within her family and community.
5. This is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila
This is a collection of short stories that offer a multifaceted look at Hawaii, far from its usual depiction as an idyllic paradise. The daily lives of its inhabitants, tensions between tradition and modernism, and the coexisting cultures within the islands are explored.
6. Where the RēKohu Bone Sings by Tina Mackerati
Iraia and Mere have known each other their entire lives. Despite the difference in their stations, they have always been close. But now, having grown, their relationship has changed.
A century later, twins Lula and Bigs are born to a mixed-race couple. Lula appears Pākehā, while Bigs is more Māori in appearance. Inevitably, they are subjected to questions, taunts, and bullying as they grow up.
Unknown to all four, there is a witness to their journeys. He watches their stories unfold, feeling what they feel and confronting the dangers they cannot yet see.
7. Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt
Tauilopepe Mauga, ambitious and powerful, is determined to expand his family’s lands in the face of European intrusion. His desires clash with traditional Samoan ways, often breaking cultural values long held sacred.
Pepe, his son, struggles with his father’s materialistic views. Nino, his grandchild, is caught between the old ways and the new.
8. Island of Shattered Dreams by Chantal T. Spitz
Regarded as the first novel written by a Tahitian, the narrative centers around the family of Tematua and Emere, who live on a fictional island akin to Tahiti. It follows their family through several generations as they experience colonization, the Second World War, and other political and societal changes.
9. Ripple by Tui Allen
An ancient spirit is given one last chance to achieve some mysterious purpose on Earth. It is incarnated as Ripple, a female dolphin who soon falls for the scarred Cosmo.
This love pushes her towards her purpose. If she succeeds, humanity—still to evolve—will be affected and the universe forever changed.
10. Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen by Liliʻuokalani
Liliʻuokalani is the last queen of the Hawaiian kingdom, deposed in 1893 by the United States. Her memoir covers her forebears, upbringing, ascension to the throne, dethronement, and the end of Hawaii as an independent nation.
11. Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden
T Kira Madden was a Jewish Chinese Hawaiian girl living in Boca Raton, Florida. Though she lived a life of extravagance, her background and physical features always set her apart and invited ridicule.
Within is her account of her youth, where madness was a constant companion in the absence of her mother and the death of her father.
What other books by pacific islanders have you read? Share them in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
